O'Neil, K. (2013). Teaching History: Not Just Preparing for Jeopardy. ASCD Express, 8 (13). Web.
Karen O'Neil is an American Social Studies teacher as well as an Understanding by Design curriculum specialist. In this article, she briefly outlines her approach to making History more meaningful for students,using the American Revolution as her example.
The article begins with a question that every History teacher has probably heard: "Do we need to know dates for the test?" As a History teacher, it is easy to bog ourselves down with small details like names and dates and locations; therefore, it is even easier for students to become bogged down. But are these small details all they we want our students to remember? No, we want them to remember the big-picture information – the why and the how more so than the when and why.
O’Neil calls these big ideas the “enduring understanding,” and here in New Brunswick we are fortunate to have a brand new Social Studies curriculum which focuses on big ideas, namely historical significance, evidence, continuity and change, cause and consequence, historical perspective, and ethical dimension. By focusing on these big ideas rather than small details, the History teacher “no longer acts as a purveyor of information, but rather as a guide in the thinking process” (O’Neil), and that is something that I think all teachers should be striving towards.
Ash, K. (2010). Building on a Decade of 1-to-1 Lessons. Education Week, 29 (26). 12-15. Web.
This article gives an account of Detroit-area Sarah Banks Middle School which instituted a one-to-one laptop program in 1999. The program is different than some because parents must purchase a laptop for their child if they wish for their child to participate. However, if a family cannot afford a laptop there are carts of laptops at the school which students can use. When the program first began, the school didn't have Internet access. Now, classrooms have SmartBoards, FlipCams, document cameras, and many other technologies to complement the use of laptops.
The principal of SBMS, Mark Hess, says that "Integrating technology into the classroom in the year 2010 is no longer an option, it's part of classroom life." I chose to read this article because during my second internship, at Nashwaaksis Middle School, I was able to see a one-to-one laptop initiative in action. Each of the students at NMS is provided with a netbook; this is made possible through government funding. One-to-one laptop programs certainly offer both unique advantages and challenges. Students have so much information at their fingertips with easy access to the Internet. However, there are also new excuses to be made such as "My project got deleted some how," or "My battery was dead so I couldn't do my work." I find that the one main advantage with such laptop programs is that learning becomes more student-centered, which should be the goal for all teachers whether each student has a laptop or not.
Griffiths, M. (2010). Online Video Gaming: What Should Educational Psychologists Know? Educational Psychology in Practice, 26 (1). 35-40. Web.
Griffiths wrote this article in response to a number of calls, emails and letters from concerned parents and psychologists (clinical and educational) who were worried that adolescents are becoming addicted to online video gaming. Griffiths outlines the six criteria for addiction - salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, conflict and relapse. While it is possible for people to become addicted to online gaming (just as it is possible to become addicted to just about any activity), Griffiths feels that it would be rare to encounter an adolescent who is truly addicted to gaming.
During both of my internships, I constantly heard students (usually males) discussing video games which they enjoyed playing. My biggest concern was that many of the games discussed were rather violent, first-person shooter games. Griffiths advises parents (and, in my opinion, such advice should be taken by teachers as well) to encourage adolescents to play less violent, and preferably educational, video games. Also, it is important for both parents and teachers to recognize that there are benefits to online gaming, such as: self-esteem boosts; stress relief; and making new friends online. As long as parents monitor gaming, it can be a very positive experience for adolescents.
Hutchinson, Nancy L. (2010). Inclusion of Exceptional Learners in Canadian Schools: a Practical Handbook for Teachers. 3rd ed. Toronto: Pearson.
Hutchinson's book covers all of the major exceptionalities that teachers can expect to find in their classrooms including both low-incidence and high-incidence exceptionalities. She gives practical advice for incorporating all students into the classroom and making all students feel welcome and at ease. This book is an invaluable resource for any teacher working in an inclusionary environment.
Lambert, Linda. (1998). Building Leadership Capacity in Schools. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Lambert's book focuses on building a community of shared leadership within a school. Rather than having the principal as the "mighty leader" and teachers as "obedient followers," Lambert proposes that schools begin using a model of shared leadership in which teachers and administrators make decisions together based on improving student learning. Teachers know what works and what doesn't and so having them play a key role in the school's decision-making process can greatly enhance student achievement. While establishing shared leadership is no easy feat, it does come with considerable benefits, as indicated in the case studies Lambert provides. I would love to work in a school that follows a shared leadership model as it gives teachers more of a say in how their school runs.
Metzger, S.A. (2010). Maximizing the Educational Power of History Movies in the Classroom.Social Studies, 101 (3). 127-136. Web.
This is an excellent article for any History teacher considering using a Hollywood film (as opposed to a documentary) in their classroom. Metzger describes the pros and cons associated with showing a film in class and gives helpful advice on how to make the most of Hollywood movies in the History classroom. While this article focuses on the movie 300 (2007), the information can be applied to any movie.
In order to make the most of a film, ensure that students are thinking critically about what they are seeing, support student learning through content knowledge and guidance while viewing, and do not just put on a movie for entertainment or because it's Friday. While many movies have drawbacks such as presentism and one-sidedness, it is possible to create a great lesson using a film. As an aspiring History teacher, if I were to show a Hollywood movie in class I would definitely refer to this article to make the most of the experience for my students.
O'Neil, K. (2013). Teaching History: Not Just Preparing for Jeopardy. ASCD Express, 8 (13). Web.
Karen O'Neil is an American Social Studies teacher as well as an Understanding by Design curriculum specialist. In this article, she briefly outlines her approach to making History more meaningful for students,using the American Revolution as her example.
The article begins with a question that every History teacher has probably heard: "Do we need to know dates for the test?" As a History teacher, it is easy to bog ourselves down with small details like names and dates and locations; therefore, it is even easier for students to become bogged down. But are these small details all they we want our students to remember? No, we want them to remember the big-picture information – the why and the how more so than the when and why.
O’Neil calls these big ideas the “enduring understanding,” and here in New Brunswick we are fortunate to have a brand new Social Studies curriculum which focuses on big ideas, namely historical significance, evidence, continuity and change, cause and consequence, historical perspective, and ethical dimension. By focusing on these big ideas rather than small details, the History teacher “no longer acts as a purveyor of information, but rather as a guide in the thinking process” (O’Neil), and that is something that I think all teachers should be striving towards.
Ash, K. (2010). Building on a Decade of 1-to-1 Lessons. Education Week, 29 (26). 12-15. Web.
This article gives an account of Detroit-area Sarah Banks Middle School which instituted a one-to-one laptop program in 1999. The program is different than some because parents must purchase a laptop for their child if they wish for their child to participate. However, if a family cannot afford a laptop there are carts of laptops at the school which students can use. When the program first began, the school didn't have Internet access. Now, classrooms have SmartBoards, FlipCams, document cameras, and many other technologies to complement the use of laptops.
The principal of SBMS, Mark Hess, says that "Integrating technology into the classroom in the year 2010 is no longer an option, it's part of classroom life." I chose to read this article because during my second internship, at Nashwaaksis Middle School, I was able to see a one-to-one laptop initiative in action. Each of the students at NMS is provided with a netbook; this is made possible through government funding. One-to-one laptop programs certainly offer both unique advantages and challenges. Students have so much information at their fingertips with easy access to the Internet. However, there are also new excuses to be made such as "My project got deleted some how," or "My battery was dead so I couldn't do my work." I find that the one main advantage with such laptop programs is that learning becomes more student-centered, which should be the goal for all teachers whether each student has a laptop or not.
Griffiths, M. (2010). Online Video Gaming: What Should Educational Psychologists Know? Educational Psychology in Practice, 26 (1). 35-40. Web.
Griffiths wrote this article in response to a number of calls, emails and letters from concerned parents and psychologists (clinical and educational) who were worried that adolescents are becoming addicted to online video gaming. Griffiths outlines the six criteria for addiction - salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, conflict and relapse. While it is possible for people to become addicted to online gaming (just as it is possible to become addicted to just about any activity), Griffiths feels that it would be rare to encounter an adolescent who is truly addicted to gaming.
During both of my internships, I constantly heard students (usually males) discussing video games which they enjoyed playing. My biggest concern was that many of the games discussed were rather violent, first-person shooter games. Griffiths advises parents (and, in my opinion, such advice should be taken by teachers as well) to encourage adolescents to play less violent, and preferably educational, video games. Also, it is important for both parents and teachers to recognize that there are benefits to online gaming, such as: self-esteem boosts; stress relief; and making new friends online. As long as parents monitor gaming, it can be a very positive experience for adolescents.
Hutchinson, Nancy L. (2010). Inclusion of Exceptional Learners in Canadian Schools: a Practical Handbook for Teachers. 3rd ed. Toronto: Pearson.
Hutchinson's book covers all of the major exceptionalities that teachers can expect to find in their classrooms including both low-incidence and high-incidence exceptionalities. She gives practical advice for incorporating all students into the classroom and making all students feel welcome and at ease. This book is an invaluable resource for any teacher working in an inclusionary environment.
Lambert, Linda. (1998). Building Leadership Capacity in Schools. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Lambert's book focuses on building a community of shared leadership within a school. Rather than having the principal as the "mighty leader" and teachers as "obedient followers," Lambert proposes that schools begin using a model of shared leadership in which teachers and administrators make decisions together based on improving student learning. Teachers know what works and what doesn't and so having them play a key role in the school's decision-making process can greatly enhance student achievement. While establishing shared leadership is no easy feat, it does come with considerable benefits, as indicated in the case studies Lambert provides. I would love to work in a school that follows a shared leadership model as it gives teachers more of a say in how their school runs.
Metzger, S.A. (2010). Maximizing the Educational Power of History Movies in the Classroom. Social Studies, 101 (3). 127-136. Web.
This is an excellent article for any History teacher considering using a Hollywood film (as opposed to a documentary) in their classroom. Metzger describes the pros and cons associated with showing a film in class and gives helpful advice on how to make the most of Hollywood movies in the History classroom. While this article focuses on the movie 300 (2007), the information can be applied to any movie.
In order to make the most of a film, ensure that students are thinking critically about what they are seeing, support student learning through content knowledge and guidance while viewing, and do not just put on a movie for entertainment or because it's Friday. While many movies have drawbacks such as presentism and one-sidedness, it is possible to create a great lesson using a film. As an aspiring History teacher, if I were to show a Hollywood movie in class I would definitely refer to this article to make the most of the experience for my students.